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Watts Family History

Watts Name Meaning

English: variant of Watt with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Waits, Matts, Batts, Watt, Witts, Waters, Wates, Harts, Oatts, Cates

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Watts family from?

You can see how Watts families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Watts family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Watts families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 92 Watts families living in New York. This was about 10% of all the recorded Watts's in USA. New York had the highest population of Watts families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Watts surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Watts ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Watts. 18% of Watts men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Watts women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Watts were Truck Driver and Cook. .

View Census Data for Watts | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    18%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    8%
  • Housewife
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Cook
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Watts family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 851,000 census records available for the last name Watts. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Watts census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Watts

Passenger Lists

There are 80,000 immigration records available for the last name Watts. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Watts immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 103,000 military records available for the last name Watts. For the veterans among your Watts ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Watts military records

You've only scratched the surface of Watts family history

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What is the average Watts lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Watts life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Watts in 1940 was 44, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Watts

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